STEPHEN CONROY: The black Wiggle down the end thinks he's entitled to a seat. He's run so many times for so many things,

I think he's lost every time because guess what? No one wanted to give him a preference.

What a pair of pants they were. Other people liked the skivvy, I loved the pants.

(laughter)

Seriously, what a sense of entitlement.

PETA DONALD: The anger of Labor's leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, was palpable.

PENNY WONG: The Liberal lapdog.

PETA DONALD: She's furious about the new deal-making style of the leader Senator Di Natale and with Liberal talk of a Lower House preference deal with the Greens, which could see Labor lose seats.

PENNY WONG: You, on the other hand sit here and snipe and try and take votes from Labor to the Greens. That's not progressive politics.

That is not progressive politics.

PETA DONALD: The Greens leader denies the preference deal and he argues for Senate voting changes.

RICHARD DI NATALE: What a great day, what a great day when we can say that today we have stood up, that we've strengthened our democracy and we've given more power back to the people.

PETA DONALD: Labor and the crossbenchers argue the millions of Australians who vote for tiny parties in the Senate could be disenfranchised.

It was a point made by Liberal democrat senator, David Leyonhjelm.

DAVID LEYONHJELM: They don't much like the big parties, our voters. They just like the little ones.

So in another election, under this new voting system, because their votes don't go any further than what they're going to put on the ballot paper, they will cease at number six.

PETA DONALD: As they face electoral annihilation, the crossbenchers are getting legal advice about whether to mount a High Court challenge.

Independent senator, Jacqui Lambie.

JACQUI LAMBIE: Oh, he's not answering the questions. I asked him if they had a contingency plan in place if it's going to the High Court.

I don't need all the fluffy stuff.

SENATOR: Let's be very crisp. We don't believe we need such contingency plans because we're very confident that the legislation before the Senate is entirely consistent with the requirements of the Constitution.

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From the Archives

Around 500 Indigenous people fought in the First World War, and as many as 5,000 in the second. But many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers who made it home received little or no recognition for their contribution. On Anzac Day, 2007, the first parade to commemorate their efforts and bravery was held in Sydney. Listen to our report from that day by Lindy Kerin.